Eva M. Clayton: “I want to share parts of a letter with the Members of the House that I received in August from 22 young people from the…”

“I want to share parts of a letter with the Members of the House that I received in August from 22 young people from the town of Edenton, NC, in my congressional district. These young people are either in high school or are recent graduates who at the time were participating in the summer jobs program. They write, ``Congresswoman Clayton: During the school year we all thought how dreadful the summer would be without a job, to do nothing, nothing to do, nowhere to go. Then we received a letter that told us that we would be able to have a summer job this summer. For many for us,'' they wrote, ``this meant an opportunity to gain money to spend on school clothes and shoes that would not have been without this job. However, as the time went on, we began to see that the jobs we held were not only for some money but an opportunity gain some valuable work experience, job skills to help career choices and develop our self- esteem, responsibility and maturity.''”